The Tale of Sir Thopas
Folio 167r
3 of 5 folios
70
That doun he leide him in the plas
To make his stede som solas
¶ O seynt Marye benedicite
What eyleth this loue at me
Me dremed al this nyght parde
An elf quene shal my lemman be
¶ An Elf quene wol I haue I wis
80
For in this world no womman is
Worthi to be my make. In towne
¶ Al other wommen I forsake
And to an elf quene I me take
85
Bi dale and ek bi downe
¶ In to his sadel he clambe anon
And piketh ouer stile and ston
Til he so longe hath riden and gon
90
That he fonde in a pryue won
For in that contre was ther non. neither wif ne childe
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¶ Til that ther come a gre geaunt
His name was syr Olifaunt
But yif thow pike of myn haunt
¶ Here is the quene of fairye
With harpe and pipe and synphonye
105
¶ The childe seide as mote I the
And yit I hope par ma fay
That thow shalt with this launcegay
Er it be fully prime of day
115
Sir Thopias drow on bak ful fast
This Geaunt at him stones cast
¶ But faire escapeth child topias
And al it was thurgh goddes gras
120
And thurgh his fair berynge
¶ Yet listeth lordynges to my tale
Miryour than the nyghtyngale
How syr Thopias with sides smale
125
Prikyng ouer hille and dale
¶ His mery men comaunded he
To make him bothe game and gle
130
With a geant with hedes thre
Of on that shon ful brighte